(CNN) - The Conservative Political Action Conference – better known by its initials, CPAC – is underway at a major convention center at National Harbor, just south of the nation's capital. The conference is the largest annual gathering of conservative leaders and activists, and when there's no Republican in the White House, it's a must-attend cattle call for GOP presidential hopefuls looking to pass the conference's conservative litmus test.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell - under fire from both the left and the right this year - showed up at CPAC this morning brandishing a rifle.

With Bon Jovi's 1986 hit "Livin' on a Prayer" booming in the background, the Kentucky Republican strode onto the stage holding the the firearm above his head. He handed the weapon over to Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn at the podium, saying," This is for you, for your distinguished service over the years."

"Liberals hate it, just hate it when Tom Coburn steps onto the Senate floor," McConnell told the crowd. "He's one of the smartest, most decent men I've ever served with." McConnell is facing a primary challenge this year from tea party favorite Matt Bevin.

"I think in 2016 you'll probably be running against Hillary Clinton. I think it's going to be a tough race, but I think it's going to be a race, that by that time, will be so bad that the Republicans will likewise take that and then you can actually end Obamacare, which is a total catastrophe."

He also took a shot at Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, for pushing immigration reform last year. He was one of the lead authors of a bill that passed in the Senate with bipartisan support and included a pathway to citizenship.

Trump called it a political damaging move for the party, warning that all 11 million undocumented immigrants, if they became citizens, would fall in the Democratic column.

"Every one of those votes goes to the Democrats," he said.

"We either have borders or we don't," he added. "It's true. I mean, you know, you have a border, you have a country. And if you don't have a border, what are we...just nothing. Nothing."

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida delivered a policy heavy speech at CPAC on Thursday, spending much more time on foreign affairs than the other possible Republican presidential hopefuls who addressed the conservative confab.

In front of a moderately receptive crowd, Rubio backed a robust foreign policy agenda for the U.S. while also stressing that an involved foreign policy doesn't mean more wars and foreign entanglements.

The GOP senator bashed the Obama administration for policy on Cuba, Venezuela and Russia.

"We cannot ignore that the flawed foreign policy of the last few years have brought us to this stage, because we have a president who believed but by the sheer force of his personality, he would be able to shape global events," Rubio said. "We have a president who believed that by going around the world and giving key speeches in key places, he could shape the behavior of other nations and other people."

He also talked tough on the United Nations, noting that the United States is the only nation capable of addressing pressing foreign policy issues.

"The United Nations cannot do this, in fact, they can't to anything," Rubio said.

But just as much as Rubio focused on foreign policy, he avoided one topic: immigration. And possibly for good reason.

Rubio was the Republican face of an immigration reform bill that was passed by the Senate in 2013. The bill, however, has failed to get any traction in the House and many conservative activists soured on Rubio because of his support for immigration reform.

Late last year, Rubio back tracked on his immigration position and advocated for the House GOP approach to the issue – a set of smaller bills – as opposed to the bill he helped author.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, receiving a warm reception from the audience Thursday, said the GOP needs to change the way it shares its message with voters in order to defeat Democrats in this year’s midterms.

“We’ve got to start talking about what we’re for and not what we’re against,” the Republican governor said. “Our ideas are better than their ideas and that’s what we have to stand up for.”

The pragmatic second-term governor, never popular with many in the party's conservative base, was not invited to last year's conference. CPAC organizers said Christie was snubbed because some of his positions were not conservative enough.

As chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Christie highlighted the work of several GOP governors in working toward entitlement reform, pointing to the heads of Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Florida-all of whom are up for re-election this year.

Christie, a consistent critic of Washington, argued that states are accomplishing more progress than lawmakers in the nation’s capital.

“Leadership is about getting in and getting something done and making government work. Leadership is not about standing on the sidelines and spit-balling,” he said. “And that’s all we see all across Washington, D.C. but it’s not what we see in the states.”

Unsurprisingly, Christie said nothing of the controversy he faces at home. Both state and federal investigations are underway over allegations that some of his aides closed access lanes to the George Washington Bridge last September to punish the mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, for not endorsing Christie's re-election.

The governor has denied knowing anything about the gridlock until after it occurred and has said he knew nothing about any political mischief by members of his administration.

Al Cardenas, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, the group that organizes CPAC each year, said the national media coverage of the controversies in New Jersey might help Christie with the party's base, which doesn't like to see Republicans attacked by the media, adding that the episode's made conservatives "kindred spirits with Gov. Christie."

11:45am ET

Who's on the much watched straw poll ballot

By: CNN' s Paul Steinhauser

Here's the CPAC GOP presidential nomination straw poll ballot. There are 25 names listed, up from 23 last year. For a second straight year former Florida Jeb Bush has asked not to be on the ballot.

Speaking briefly with reporters, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, blasted President Barack Obama’s response to the Ukraine crisis and argued the President’s foreign policy past cleared the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin to take action against its neighbor.

“Putin would not be acting with this level of aggression if it were not for the consistent weakness and appeasement of our enemies of President Obama,” he said. “Bullies and tyrants do not respect weakness, and it that weakness that invites—Putin is all but openly laughing at the President.”

Cruz also said former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be a continuation of Obama’s economic policies if she were elected to the White House.

“Hillary Clinton would continue the failed Obama economic agenda and there comes a point where you can’t turn this country around. And that is why, here at CPAC and all across the country, there’s an urgency. People across this country understand it’s now or never,” he said, adding it’s time to “get back to the free market principles (and) the constitutional liberties.”

Rep. Paul Ryan, the 2012 GOP vice presidential nominee, argued the 2014 midterm elections will turn out better for Republicans than the last presidential cycle.

"So, 2012 didn’t go as planned," the House Budget Committee Chairman said. "And last year, it was pretty tough to be optimistic after a loss like that. But now-a year later-I think there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic: I think the Left is exhausted. Our side is energized. And on Election Day, we’re going to win."

The Wisconsin Republican went on to highlight a number of Republican proposals in Congress that advocate for states' rights and lower taxes.

"The way I see it, let the other side be the party of personalities. We’ll be the party of ideas," he said. "And I’m optimistic about our chances-because the left? The left isn’t just out of ideas. It’s out of touch."

Cruz: HRC 'would continue the failed Obama econ. agenda & there comes a point where u can't turn this country around' pic.twitter.com/tLvJQbD9p1

A conservative rock star kicked off CPAC. And Sen. Ted Cruz lived up to expectations.

The freshman Republican from Texas called for the abolition of the IRS, urged the adoption of a fair tax, and said that "every single word of Obamacare" needs to be repealed.

The energetic speech was well received by the audience. Cruz, who was elected in 2012 with strong support from tea party activists and other grassroots conservatives, also said the GOP needs to stand for something.

"You want to lose elections, stand for nothing. Look at the last four congressional elections - 06, 08, 10, and 12. Three of the four we followed that strategy; 06, 08, 12 we put our head down, we stood for nothing and we got walloped. The one election that was a tremendous election was in 2010 when Republicans drew a line in the sand. We said we stand unequivocally against Obamacare, against bankrupting the country and we won an history tidal wave of an election," Cruz said.

"Of course, all of us remember President Dole and President McCain and President Romney. Now look those are good men, they're decent men. But when you don't stand and draw a clear distinction, when you don't stand for principle, Democrats celebrate," added Cruz.

Cruz, who's considering a run for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, also called for a lifetime ban on lobbying for former members of Congress, and urged the passing of a constitutional amendment on term limits.

6:00am ET

What Christie will say

By: CNN's Mark Preston and Paul Steinhauser

It's one of the biggest questions at CPAC this year: What kind of reception will Chris Christie get when be speaks to the conservative crowd on Thursday. The pragmatic New Jersey governor, never popular with many in the party's conservative base, was not invited to last year's conference. CPAC organizers said Christie was snubbed because some of his positions were not conservative enough.

Here's what a source close to Christie says the Garden State governor will speak about when he addresses the audience. "Governor Christie will be true to his reputation as a no-nonsense executive with a record of getting things done in a blue state. Christie will draw on other Republican governors as examples of executives who have followed this brand of leadership – making tough decisions, not letting politics get in the way of doing the job and focusing on action instead of automatically defaulting to partisan rhetoric – in sharp contrast with the dysfunction and inaction of Washington, DC."

"Governor Christie will also speak about what it means to be a conservative Republican and about the importance of focusing on what we are for and not what we are against. The message: we can't just be against something for the sake of being against it. Christie will call on the audience and the party not to waste time with political arguments that do nothing to turn our ideas into results. Conservative ideas are at work in states all across the country and when we lead with ideas, we win." "Also expect Christie to tell the audience we need to stop letting the media define who we are and embracing the stereotypes perpetuated by political adversaries. To do this, Christie will advocate the importance of doing what is uncomfortable, engaging unlikely allies and listening."

As Christie as Christie speaks this year, his administration's facing both state and federal investigations in allegations that some of his aides closed access lanes to the George Washington Bridge last September to punish the mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, for not endorsing Christie's re-election. The governor has denied knowing anything about the gridlock until after it occurred and has said he knew nothing about any political mischief by members of his administration.

Al Cardenas, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, the group that organizes CPAC each year, said the national media coverage of the controversies in New Jersey might help Christie with the party's base, which doesn't like to see Republicans attacked by the media, adding that the episode's made conservatives "kindred spirits with Gov. Christie."

While many conservatives may not be Christie fans, they like the mainstream media even less. "I think Christie is going to get a good reception, maybe even better than he would have before the bridge thing. He's a good, engaging, energetic speaker. He's been under attack by mainstream media and Democrats everywhere. The enemy of my enemy is my friend," added Ana Navarro, a GOP strategist and CNN contributor.

5:00am ET

New numbers troubling for Christie and Bush?

By: CNN's Paul Steinhauser

A new national poll released hours before the start of CPAC indicated that three in ten Republicans say they wouldn't vote for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie if he ran for the White House.

According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll, 9% of Republicans said they would definitely vote for Christie, with half saying they would consider voting for him, but 30% said they would definitely not cast a ballot for the New Jersey governor.

That 30% figure was the highest percentage for any Republican tested. Next was former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, a 2008 GOP presidential candidate, at 24%. The survey also indicated that while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is more popular with Republicans, if he runs for president and wins the GOP nomination, his family name may hurt him in a general election.

Fifty-percent of all registered voters questioned said they "definitely would not" vote for Bush. Bush is the brother of former President George W. Bush, who left the White House in early 2009 with very low approval ratings. Jeb Bush spoke at CPAC last year, but is not addressing the audience this year.

soundoff(114 Responses)

Rudy NYC

Fair is Fair wrote:

"5. Did you know that close to 80% of money spent on Medicare went to freeloaders living in nursing homes who voted for Romeny."
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You're wrong. Medicare covers a maximum of 100 days of nursing home expenses per qualifying admittance. After that, it's self-pay until you've exhausted your assets to the point of qualifying for Medicaid. You're 80% number is so out of the ballpark it's not even in the same city.

And where did you come up with people in nursing homes voted for Romney? Geez... you're a piece of work.
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The original poster to whom I was responding was lumping all entitlements into one basket. Romney won the senior vote handily. The vast majority of voters in nursing homes vote Republican. Statistics on acute care versus long term care spending for Medicare and Medicaid spending is readily available. Your disbelief of actual facts is not surprising.

The majority of Medi-CAID spending goes to nursing homes. The majority of folks in nursing homes make up a pretty narrow demographic. They're mostly white, usually female, and conservative. I'm not asking to agree with the figures, but the numbers speak for themselves.

March 6, 2014 11:55 am at 11:55 am |

Silence DoGood

@smith
@Silence-Comparing the tea party to the Taliban just shows how radical and full of hate you really are. When has the tea party killed people? When has the tea party tortured women? When has the tea party given safe haven to terroist networks? and where was this so called tea party rally where they were shooting guns in the air to scare liberals?
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Not all those were on my list. There are a few differences. I was just pointing out there are many similarities. For the gun one, I have seen several news items/photos with NRA/Tea-party folks openly displaying guns at rallies, clearly to intimidate. One article is on the TeaParty website!

The Tea Party speeches, news items, and even the website makes it clear they want to create a specific type of Christian country and the moral laws that would go with that, so perhaps the Iranian theocracy is a better comparison.

March 6, 2014 12:10 pm at 12:10 pm |

Rudy NYC

smith

@Rudy-Primary residence on wheels or blocks refers to mobile homes, which are in the north, south, east, and west. Using a brick foundation is not the same as wheels and blocks.
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I know what he was originally talking about. I made no mention of brck foundations.

There are plenty of homes, usually modular nowadays, lacking basements that are raised in the air a foot or so off the ground. What's the difference between a modular home and a mobile home? One has wheels, one does not, and both are usually sitting on cinder blocks or briks. The modulars have better looking skirts and usually sitting on bricks, instead of blocks. There are a great many older, wooden homes across the south that were built in this fashion: no basements; sitting on bricks/blocks.

March 6, 2014 12:12 pm at 12:12 pm |

xRedfoxx

There are two candidates that I will vote for in primaries: Cruz or Paul. If neither are the GOP candidate for president, I vote independent.

facebook/OurTeaParty

March 6, 2014 12:17 pm at 12:17 pm |

Steve

But Putin is openly laughing at you Cruz.

March 6, 2014 12:19 pm at 12:19 pm |

smith

@Silence- Your second paragraph I can see your point. Im just saying its kinda of harsh comparison.

March 6, 2014 12:20 pm at 12:20 pm |

king

the president numbers on fox poll is 38, are you kidding me. housing is going through the roof, nasdaq, dow, s&p. are breaking records on a monthly basis, are you kidding me, what are these american sipping on. this is a dam shame for the economy to be bursting through the roof and this president gets no credit. the repubs for the past 6 years have only sit on the sidelines and do absolutely nothing but sit on the sidelines and criticize criticize criticize, and never rolled up their sleeves to help do nothing. if the dems didn't have complete control of the government those first two years of the disaster. we would be in some deep doo doo right now. yet this president gets no respect and the american people are fooled into believing that hes not up to the job. i wonder what would be happening right now if a repub was in office. they wouldn't stop celebrating. this a critical time at the moment and the people have abandoned their president, because of the lies and wickedness the repubs are pushing , its a dam shame.

March 6, 2014 12:21 pm at 12:21 pm |

Pam

Isn't this when all the worms crawl out of the woodwork?

March 6, 2014 12:23 pm at 12:23 pm |

The REAL Truth...

@smith – but you think it's OK for your TP leader to publicly make comments like this "Cruz: ‘Putin is all but openly laughing at the President’"
THAT's what gets the TP labeled as the haters.. and the GOP condone it. Our POTUS ain't perfect but he IS OUR POTUS whether you voted for him or not. Never – even under his predecessor nincompoop – have I heard or seen the complete lack of respect shown by the GOP toward the office. Never has this country seen the unprecedented but DELIBERATE blockage by the GOP/TP of anything Obama is for. It has caused our debt rating downgrade and the recent Govt shutdown.

If Putin is laughing, it's at the complete political shambles the RW has created in this country over the last 12 yrs.. while blaming Obama for it all. That folks like you, Fair, Tom I, stuffitu and others fail to see this is why most Americans DO NOT SIDE with the GOP, and their approval ratings are at an all time low.

Stop with the partisan BS and get something that isn't anti-Obama done FOR the country, and you may stand a chance in 2012 and 2016.

March 6, 2014 12:29 pm at 12:29 pm |

Yes It's Not

"McConnell told the crowd. 'He's one of the smartest, most decent men I've ever served with." You people act like you're in Iraq in 2005 or something. Your definition of served is BROAD. I guess when you get a speeding ticket, that is just the cop "serving" you. Or how about the burglar who "serves" their neighborhood by only stealing accessible electronics and not bothering to look for the jewelry. Please, in the future, don't do me any favors.

@king – the president numbers on fox poll is 38
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Gallup had it at 42% this am...

March 6, 2014 12:31 pm at 12:31 pm |

smith

@Rudy- The difference is a modular home on a solid brick foundation adds alot of value to the home. The ones with cheap skirts are usually on a steel frame that adjusts(like a camper) on slabs of thick concrete.

March 6, 2014 12:31 pm at 12:31 pm |

Darw1n

Hey! The circus is back in town!

March 6, 2014 12:31 pm at 12:31 pm |

Mopery

Putin is having a great time using "The Bush Doctrine" of invading sovereign nations under false pretenses. I'm sure the CPAC would welcome Putin as its opening speaker, if he wasn't so busy with the Ukraine. After all, they've been pointing out what strong leadership they see in him for the last week. A vote for the Greedy Old Plutocrats is a vote for Putin!

March 6, 2014 12:33 pm at 12:33 pm |

Alina1

Unfortunately the US politicians are on the pass of Ukrainian experience of self serving politicians.

March 6, 2014 12:38 pm at 12:38 pm |

Check Please

“Putin would not be acting with this level of aggression if it were not for the consistent weakness and appeasement of our enemies of President Obama,”

BULL O NEE !! Do this people actually believe this dribble?

March 6, 2014 12:38 pm at 12:38 pm |

Jetranger

Now if that were a LIBERAL, they'd showed up with Pot, and that'd been ok, typical Liberal for ya !

March 6, 2014 12:39 pm at 12:39 pm |

freedom

Obama's policies are a train wreck – and impeachable! Time to change course – reject big government and embrace our freedoms. This is only found in conservative policies.

March 6, 2014 12:40 pm at 12:40 pm |

JJ

Brandishing a weapon implies a threat. threats of violence should have no place in our political process.

March 6, 2014 12:42 pm at 12:42 pm |

smith

@Tom P-smh, Im not a tea party person. I just thought Silence`s comparison to the taliban was way off.

March 6, 2014 12:43 pm at 12:43 pm |

Rudy NYC

"... ... People across this country understand it’s now or never,” he said, adding it’s time to “get back to the free market principles (and) the constitutional liberties.”
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There's absolutely nothing in the U.S. Constitution about "free market principles." That's just a euphemism for stacking the deck to make the rich richer and the poor poorer by tilting and already unlevel playing field. The Founding Fathers envisioned a democratic republic where all men are created equal, not a plutocracy that recognizes money as people.

March 6, 2014 12:46 pm at 12:46 pm |

sly

Conservative magazine Forbes reported that the 10 highest educated states voted for President Obama, while 9 of the 10 least educated states voted for the TeaKKKlan party.

Simply put: Smart people vote for progressive Democrats.

That won't change, as we will welcome President Hillary Clinton to the White House. These are good times, America!

March 6, 2014 12:48 pm at 12:48 pm |

Tampa Tim

The REAL Truth...
@king – the president numbers on fox poll is 38
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Gallup had it at 42% this am...
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Rasmussen was at 46% approval.